Can complaint forms be submitted anonymously?

No, reporting party information is required. In the rare instance where resolving a violation involves legal action, the reporting party may be required to testify in court. Over 90% of cases are resolved through voluntary compliance during the investigation and inspection process.

The complaint form is a public record. If the complaint results in a criminal charge in Municipal Court for a code violation, this complaint form is considered an initial incident report and is considered a public record, but subsequent investigative materials are considered confidential criminal justice information and are only releasable in very limited circumstances pursuant to MCA 44-5-303.

Please be aware that any individual that uses information in the Citizen Complaint Forms to quarrel, threaten, or harass another, or to otherwise violate the Disorderly Conduct (MCA § 45-8-101) or Privacy in Communications (MCA § 45-8-213) statutes could be subject to criminal penalties.